In his 10 seasons as head coach at Brigham Young University, Bronco Mendenhall has restored the great tradition of BYU football while helping the Cougars achieve marked success on and off the field. Taking over a BYU team that in 2005 was coming off three consecutive losing seasons, Mendenhall has guided his teams to 10 straight bowl appearances, two outright conference championships before football independence in 2011, and been nationally ranked during eight of 10 seasons. 

Under Mendenhall’s leadership, BYU has earned a 90-39 record to rank 13th in total wins among all FBS teams over the past 10 seasons.  Mendenhall also ranks 13th in winning percentage (.698) among all active coaches with at least five years of FBS experience, and he ranks No. 10 among active coaches with 10 or more years at the helm.  

Mendenhall has helped guide the BYU program into elite company due to the consistency of the program’s success. Over the past 10 years, the Cougars are one of only eight programs to win 90 or more games and advance to a bowl each season.  Overall, BYU is also one of only 12 programs to earn a bowl invitation each of the past 10 seasons with only Florida State (7) among those schools having achieved more than BYU's six bowl victories in that time period. 

The Cougars set a program record with four consecutive bowl wins from 2009-12, helping Mendenhall become the first BYU head coach to win six bowls in a seven-year span. Mendenhall is the only coach in BYU football history to take his first 10 teams to a bowl game. 

Mendenhall’s .600 postseason winning percentage is tops in school history and his overall wins at this point in his career approaches that of Hall of Fame coach LaVell Edwards even with Mendenhall’s teams facing double the number of Power 5-level opponents in that time frame. Mendenhall has achieved 90 wins while Edwards had 93 victories in their respective first 129 games leading the Cougars. Thanks to the high level of success achieved by both coaches and their teams, BYU ranks No. 5 nationally in total victories over the last 40 seasons among all
FBS programs with 354 wins, an average of 8.85 wins per season. Mendenhall's teams have helped the Cougars move up on that list while averaging 9.0 victories per year over the past 10 years. 

The principles and structure of Mendenhall’s program coupled with the efforts of his staff and players have helped BYU be consistently competitive whether in Provo or on the road. BYU ranks No. 9 nationally in home winning percentage at .820 (50-11 record) and No. 20 in road winning percentage at .529 (33-23 record) over the past 10 years. BYU’s 33 away victories under Mendenhall ranks No. 9 nationally and his seven additional neutral site wins ranks No. 22. 

BYU’s success under Mendenhall is also evident in the national rankings and NCAA statistics. BYU has been ranked in the top 25 in the various national statistical categories 145 times in his 10 seasons (62 defense, 53 offense, 28 special teams, 2 misc.). 

Mendenhall has served as the BYU’s defensive coordinator for much of his tenure as the head coach. He returns to a full-time role with the defense again in 2015. The Cougars have consistently fielded one of the nation’s strongest defenses under Mendenhall’s direction. Mendenhall’s defense excels at keeping opponents out of the end zone, averaged a No. 20 national ranking in scoring defense while he oversees the defense, including three top-10 ratings. 

In 2012, the Cougars featured one of the greatest defenses in school history, allowing just 266.1 yards, including 86.9 rushing yards, and 14.0 points per game. Ranked No. 3 in total defense, No. 3 in scoring defense and No. 2 in rushing defense, the Mendenhall-coached unit held its first six opponents under 300 total yards (part of a streak of 12 consecutive such games dating back to 2011) and kept opposing offenses without a touchdown six times during the year. 

BYU recruits have earned Freshman All-America recognition during eight of Mendenhall’s 10 seasons as the Cougars continue to demonstrate they are strengthening the program with talented players and quality individuals.  More than 60 BYU players have signed with the NFL since Mendenhall arrived in Provo, including tight end Dennis Pitta, a starter on the 2013 Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens, defensive end Ezekiel Ansah, the No. 5 overall pick by the Detroit Lions in the 2013 NFL Draft, and linebacker Kyle Van Noy, the 40th overall pick by the Lions in the 2014 draft.  

Another hallmark of Mendenhall’s program has been the emphasis on balance and priorities in the many other facets of life outside of football. Reflecting that emphasis, the Cougars are tied for seventh among all FBS programs for the most Academic All-America citations over the past 10 years and BYU tops all FBS programs for the most selections (39) to the National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society (recognizing starters and significant contributors finishing their eligibility with a 3.2 GPA or better over their college career) since the program began in 2007.

The success of Mendenhall's leadership approach in running the BYU football program has been highlighted in a management book, Running Into the Wind: Bronco Mendenhall - 5 Strategies for Building a Successful Team, written by Alyson Von Feldt and Paul Gustavson, a leading management consultant specializing in leadership development and organizational design.

In 2006, Mendenhall was named the American Football Coaches Association Region IV Coach of the Year following an 11-2 season. In addition, the Football Writers Association of America named Mendenhall one of nine finalists for the prestigious Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award.  

Mendenhall was elected in 2013 to the American Football Coaches Association Board of Trustees as the District 8 Representative and also serves on the Ethics Committee. 

He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Oregon State. He later coached at Snow College, Northern Arizona, became the youngest defensive coordinator in the Pac-10 at Oregon State, and then went to Louisiana Tech and New Mexico before coming to BYU as a defensive coordinator in 2003. He was promoted to head coach in 2005.

A dominant defense led BYU to its seventh winning season in as many years as the BYU football team finished the 2012 season with eight wins, a program-best fourth consecutive bowl victory and the No. 3 defense in the nation. With an 8-5 record, BYU claimed its sixth season with as least eight wins under Mendenhall's eight-year head coaching tenure. Incredibly consistent all year long, BYU finished the year ranked No. 3 in total defense, allowing just 266.1 yards per game. The Cougars ended the season ranked in the top four in five major defensive categories. 

In the first year of independence, BYU posted yet another 10-win season, capped off by another comeback bowl victory over Tulsa in the Armed Forces Bowl. Riley Nelson took over the starting quarterback duties midway through the season and led BYU to a 6-1 record down the stretch. The Cougar defense also posted the No. 13 ranked defense.

In 2010, BYU's 52-24 New Mexico Bowl victory highlighted the progress and momentum the relatively young team gained over the course of the season as several freshmen played big roles in the season-ending victory. True freshman quarterback Jake Heaps became the first frosh signal caller in BYU history to start in a bowl, and he completed 25-of-34 passes for 264 yards and four touchdowns to be named New Mexico Bowl Offensive MVP. During the game, Heaps broke Heisman Trophy winner Ty Detmer's BYU record for freshman touchdown throws, finishing with 15 on the year to Detmer's 13. Redshirt freshman wide receiver Cody Hoffman caught three touchdowns on eight receptions for 137 yards in the bowl win, while true freshman running back Joshua Quezada ran for 101 yards on 15 carries and one touchdown.

While recording an 11-2 record and 7-1 league mark in 2009, Mendenhall's team went 3-1 against ranked opponents, including a 14-13 season-opening win over No. 3 Oklahoma and a 44-20 season-finale Maaco Bowl Las Vegas victory over No. 16 Oregon State. BYU finished No. 12 in the final 2009 polls to earn the distinction of being one of only six programs nationally to be ranked in both final polls for four straight seasons.

In 2008, BYU finished 10-3 overall and 6-2 in the MWC to achieve three straight 10-win seasons and become the first teams in Cougar history to go unbeaten at home over three consecutive seasons. Mendenhall coached the Cougars to back-to-back 11-2 seasons in 2006 and 2007, while claiming consecutive outright MWC titles with a combined record of 16-0 against league opponents.

Following the 2006 season, Mendenhall was named the American Football Coaches Association Region IV Coach of the Year. In addition, the Football Writers Association of America named Mendenhall one of nine finalists for the prestigious Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award. On November 17, 2007, Mendenhall led the Cougars to a 35-10 victory over Wyoming to record his 25th career win. With the victory, Mendenhall became the only coach in BYU football history to win 25 games in his first 35 attempts.

In his first year in 2005 after taking over a program coming off three losing seasons, Mendenhall led BYU to a 6-5 regular-season record and earned an invitation to the Maaco Bowl Las Vegas -- the team's first postseason bowl appearance in three seasons. The Cougars finished tied for second in the MWC with a 5-3 league ledger.

BYU recruits have earned Freshman All-America recognition each of Mendenhalls seven seasons as the Cougars continue to demonstrate through their recruiting efforts how they are strengthening the program with talented players and quality individuals.

Mendenhall began his coaching career as a graduate assistant in 1989 at his alma mater, Oregon State. After earning his master's degree in 1990, he moved to Snow College in Ephraim, Utah, where he served as the secondary coach and defensive coordinator from 1991-92 under current BYU assistant coach Paul Tidwell. Following two seasons with the Badgers, Mendenhall became the secondary coach at Northern Arizona, where the Lumberjacks boasted the top-ranked defense in the Big Sky Conference. He was elevated to co-defensive coordinator for the 1994 season.

In 1995, Mendenhall returned to Oregon State to become the defensive line coach under then defensive coordinator Rocky Long. When Long left to become the defensive coordinator at UCLA, Mendenhall was promoted to defensive coordinator for the 1996 season. At just 29 years of age, Mendenhall was the youngest defensive coordinator in Pac-10 history.

In 1997, Mendenhall became the secondary coach at Louisiana Tech where he helped the Bulldogs to a remarkable 9-2 record as his defensive unit was credited with 17 interceptions, allowing just 15 touchdowns on the season.

In 1998, Mendenhall moved to Albuquerque, N.M., to become the defensive coordinator and secondary coach at the University of New Mexico. Over the next five seasons, the Lobos improved from just three wins in 1998 to seven wins and an invitation to the Las Vegas Bowl in 2002. In the Lobos' 27-13 loss against UCLA in the Las Vegas Bowl, the Mendenhall-led defense held the Bruins to a season-low 167 yards.

Under Mendenhall, the Lobos led the Mountain West Conference in rushing defense for three straight seasons. In 2001, New Mexico gave up just 87.4 yards per game over the season. In his final season in Albuquerque, Mendenhall led the Lobos to a top ranking against league opponents in total defense, allowing just 316.4 yards per game. The Lobos also led the MWC in sacks in the 2000 and 2002 season, totaling 46 and 38, respectively.

At New Mexico, Mendenhall played a valuable role in the development of the 1999 Mountain West Player of the Year, Consensus All-American and first-round NFL Draft pick Brian Urlacher. The ninth overall selection in the 2000 NFL Draft, Urlacher was voted the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year and was a Pro Bowl selection. Urlacher was one of two rookies to play all 16 games, starting at middle linebacker the final 14 games to establish a team record for starts at the position by a rookie. He shattered Bears rookie records with 165 total tackles and eight sacks, making him the second Chicago first-year player to lead the team in tackles. Urlacher finished his collegiate career ranked third on New Mexico's all-time list with 442 tackles.